Hey, y’all, I’m getting the the PSA 11.5 inch, lightweight upper pictured below delivered tomorrow (YAY!
). I’m sure I’ll have questions that arise periodically about it, and I appreciate any input y’all got.
It has an A2 muzzle break on the front, and I’d like to switch it out. Is it pinned and welded, or can a normal person remove it without having to go to a gunsmith? Tips/techniques on safe home removal would be appreciated as well… Thanks!
11.5 is not long enough for a pin and weld. Get a replacement crush washer ( which most reputable muzzle break / flash hiders come with.) A gunsmith will tell you you need a (I forget the name of the clamping rod that goes into the breech area) to change the flash hider but I’ve done a couple without one without issue so far. I just use a soft jaw clamp at the QD mount hole area in the picture you provided.
If it is p/w it will say so in the description. Usually PSA only does a p/w on 13.7-14.5 uppers to the them to 16”.
a normal person could remove it with the upper receiver locked in a vise block
Define normal… 
Hey Kiki, I’ve been looking at three prong muzzle breaks myself I’m hoping to find one that’s about double the length of the one you have on yours. Any suggestions where I can source something like that? I have been looking through the internet and have made several good potential selections , but i’m still keeping my options open…
Breek arms makes a longer version of mine. surefire, kak, AAC, theres a bunch of them. Depends if you need outside threaded or not.
but the longer you go on 3 prong or 4 prong. You start getting that Pitchfork sound when you fire your weapon. i choose breek arms becuase of price and the ability to mount a blast cone…. If you’re not sure just look at three prong flash hiders and look at images on google… to see which one catches your fancy.
Thank you so much for the information Kiki. I appreciate the fact that you took the time to respond, & the information that you shared. I will definitely look into Breek arms, particularly with some of the price quotes I’ve seen for flash hider/muzzle breaks… 
designating an aliphatic hydrocarbon having an acyclic unbranched chain of carbon atoms
Inert gas quench?
INERT GAS…… my body produces that all the time lol :0)
Split pea soup is my Intestinal Kriptonite. When I was a young buck in the Police Academy, . I cleared the classroom 4 times before being sent home by the instructor. I had consumed two bowls of homemade split pea soup for breakfast. It has been insinuated that the Department of War could weaponize my inert gas… 
